Munich Nightlife: Places and Districts to Go Out in Munich

  The Victory Gate at Night

Germans are famous for their love of beer and nowhere is that truer than in Munich. The city revels in its position as the country’s beer capital and there are few aspects of its nightlife that don’t, in some way, revolve around its legendary beer halls.

They’re certainly a great place for visitors to get to know people: many of the halls are filled with long rows of benches and tables, meaning that you’re practically forced to chat to your neighbor, and you can’t slink off and have a quiet drink!

The most famous of all German beer halls is the enormous Hofbrauhaus, although here, inevitably, the balance of locals and visitors is tipped heavily in favor of the latter. As a result, it tends to be avoided by the city’s inhabitants and, frankly, after a quick one there, you’re better off heading for one of the many less busy (and cheaper) alternatives.

During the summer months, the English Garden can be an ideal place to enjoy the warm evenings. As night falls, a stroll through the leafy park to its northernmost reaches is rewarded with two excellent beer gardens, the Aumeister and the Hirschau.

And then, of course, there’s the Oktoberfest; the pinnacle of the beer-drinkers’ calendar, the siren call to backpackers and student travelers that every autumn rings out across Europe. In recent years, the numbers have become so great and so extensive is the beer-soaked pandemonium into which the city slides that the city no longer promotes the event abroad.

But while it may not have the super-chic nightlife of some other major European cities, there is a decent club and live music scene that takes over when licensing laws close bars around midnight.

Over to the east of the city, around Haidhousen and Ostbahnhof, there’s a cluster of sophisticated clubs which can be a bit pretentious and tough on the budget. A cooler, student crowd, meanwhile, is catered for in Leopoldstrasse and Ludwigstrasse.

Aside from Oktoberfest, Munich hosts a series of free rock concerts in the summer. These are held by the lake in Olympiapark at a purpose-built stage known as the 'Theatron' which is graced by live acts of varying standards and genres.

The city also has a number of theatres and orchestras as well as two opera houses, the larger of which sits in the Museum Quarter west of the Marienplatz-Schwabing axis. This wealth of classical talent lends a surprisingly sophisticated edge to Munich’s nighttime entertainment.

Some cities do certain things better than others and Munich does "Gemutlichkeit" - a sort of charming, homespun coziness - better than anywhere else. And with outstanding beers, a lively, unpretentious scene and a very warm welcome, there’s very little reason to pretend otherwise.

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